Bermuda deliver a dominant all-around performance, led by a four-goal night from Milan Gibbons-Thomas
Bermuda went on to seal a commanding 7–0 victory in their opening match of the First Round U17 Women’s Qualifiers. The Lady Gombey Warriors picked up right where they left off after the break, dominating possession and applying relentless pressure throughout the second half.
Their persistence was rewarded in the 63rd minute when Milan Gibbons-Thomas completed her hat-trick to make it 5–0. Just five minutes later, Nadia Madeiros struck from close range in the 68th minute to extend the lead to six. Gibbons-Thomas wasn’t finished yet, adding her fourth and final goal of the night in the 74th minute to cap off an outstanding individual performance.
The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive 7–0 win for Bermuda.
The Lady Gombey Warriors will next face Bonaire on Monday. The visitors will be looking to bounce back after suffering an 8–0 defeat to Panama earlier today at the National Sports Centre.
Concacaf Women’s U17 Qualifiers: a pair of braces gives ruthless Bermuda a commanding lead over Suriname
A first-class performance from the opening whistle by the Lady Gombey Warriors. Battling against the wind, Bermuda struck early when Evans Welch opened the scoring in the 4th minute. Milan Gibbons-Thomas doubled the lead in the 16th, before the No. 10 unleashed a rocket into the back left corner in the 28th minute. Just four minutes later, Welch netted her second of the half, capping off a dominant opening period for Team Bermuda.
Bermuda Road Safety Council responds to 1st road fatality of 2026
Bermuda Road Safety Council press statement:
The Bermuda Road Safety Council extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the rider who tragically lost his life. One death on our roads is one too many—and this loss is a stark reminder that road safety is not an abstract issue, but a matter of life and death for our community. We honour his life by renewing our urgent call for safer roads, greater awareness, and shared responsibility from every road user. We also encourage anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to contact Sergeant Milton Hill of the Bermuda Police Service, as every detail matters.
Hamilton, Bermuda — Bermuda Rugby has officially launched the 2025–2026 domestic rugby season with the announcement of Moongate Brewing Co. as the new title sponsor of the domestic league, now known as the Bermuda Rugby Moongate League.
The partnership sees Moongate Brewing Co. supporting both the men’s and women’s domestic competitions, with branded post pads and enhanced matchday visibility marking the start of the collaboration across local fixtures.
A representative from Moongate Brewing Co. said the sponsorship reflects the company’s commitment to community, connection and shared experiences:
“Moongate Brewing Co. is proud to support Bermuda Rugby’s domestic season for both the men’s and women’s game through its sponsorship of the Bermuda Rugby Moongate League. We are passionate about our local community and celebrating how sport and shared experiences bring people together.”
Secretary of the Bermuda Rugby Football Union, Artie Darrell, welcomed the partnership, noting the strong alignment between the two organisations:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Moongate Brewing Co. as the title sponsor of our domestic league. Moongate has entered Bermuda’s entertainment and hospitality landscape with real energy and authenticity, and their commitment to supporting local sport speaks volumes about the values they bring as a business. This partnership is about more than branding; it’s about backing community, shared experiences and the people who make our domestic game thrive week in, week out. Seeing Moongate’s support reflected around our pitches is a fantastic signal of confidence in Bermuda Rugby and the direction we are heading.”
The Bermuda Rugby Moongate League forms the backbone of the island’s rugby calendar, providing consistent competition and development opportunities for players, coaches and officials across the men’s and women’s game. The domestic season will run through to early March, building momentum ahead of an active international period for Bermuda Rugby.
Following the conclusion of the domestic league, attention will turn to the international window, with the men’s senior XVs set to face Cayman, Guyana and Mexico. March will also see the return of the Bermuda International 7s, welcoming U23 and high school teams from the United States and Canada. Youth programmes remain a key focus, with U14 girls travelling to Tropical 7s in Tampa, U16 boys competing at Trinity, and a potential U14 boys’ tour to the United States under consideration. Two further international select fixtures are also being explored with USA South and the Atlantic Privateers, before the men’s senior squad travels to Asunción, Paraguay, as part of a 90-strong Bermuda contingent competing at the Centro American Caribe Games (CACs).
With the launch of the Bermuda Rugby Moongate League, Bermuda Rugby looks forward to an exciting domestic season underpinned by strong community support and a shared commitment to growing the game at every level.
The work of Gwen Johnson ‘enhanced the island’s reputation internationally as a credible, well-governed jurisdiction’
The Ministry of Justice is deeply saddened by the passing of Gwen Nawa Johnson on 10 January 2026 and extends its sincere condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.
Ms Johnson was a distinguished Zambian-born legal practitioner whose career spanned more than four decades across multiple Commonwealth jurisdictions, marked by exceptional service in legislative drafting, financial services regulation, and international law.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Zambia in 1980 and was admitted to practise as an advocate in Zambia in 1982.
Her early career included service as an advocate within Zambia’s Legal Aid Department and Ombudsman’s Office, followed by private practice and later senior roles as a legislative drafter.
She went on to serve in Botswana as Principal and later Chief Legal Draftsperson, and subsequently as Assistant Attorney General, where she worked extensively on financial services legislation and the negotiation of international agreements.
Ms Johnson’s commitment to professional excellence was reflected in her extensive academic achievements, including postgraduate qualifications in securities and capital market development, legislative drafting and international negotiations, an MBA, and a Master of Laws in International Business Law and Finance.
She joined the Ministry of Justice in Bermuda in 2010 within the Attorney-General’s Chambers, initially serving as Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel, before continuing her service as Parliamentary Counsel and later as Consultant Parliamentary Counsel.
During her tenure in Bermuda, Ms Johnson made an extraordinary and lasting contribution to the Island’s legislative framework, particularly in strengthening Bermuda’s position as a leading, well-regulated international financial services jurisdiction.
She handled a substantial portfolio of complex legislation for the Ministry of Finance and the Bermuda Monetary Authority, including Bills relating to insurance, banks, investment funds, trusts, corporate service providers, money service businesses, beneficial ownership, public accountability, taxation and corporate regulation — work that helped pave the way for major reforms, including the introduction of corporate income tax.
Her expertise was also applied across a wide range of domestic policy areas, including tourism, landlord and tenant reform, cost of living measures, and the introduction of a minimum hourly wage.
Owing to her technical mastery, she was entrusted with highly complex legislation in areas such as intellectual property, cybercrime, and computer misuse.
Her work played a critical role in strengthening Bermuda’s regulatory and legal landscape, including reforms that supported financial services oversight, public health protections, and measures that proved vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Johnson was instrumental in modernising Bermuda’s public health and quarantine laws and drafted numerous emergency regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing the legal framework that enabled the Government to respond decisively to protect public health in an evolving and unprecedented crisis.
She also prepared a legislative drafting manual that continues to serve as a key training resource, underscoring her enduring commitment to capacity-building and institutional strength within the Chambers.
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP, reflected: “Gwen was a deeply principled lawyer and a loyal public servant who gave her best to this Ministry every day. Her work strengthened Bermuda’s legal and regulatory framework and enhanced the Island’s reputation internationally as a credible, well-governed jurisdiction.”
“Her breadth of knowledge, calm authority, and quiet leadership earned the respect of colleagues across Government, and her contributions will continue to shape our laws for generations to come.”
Minister Wilkerson added: “Beyond her professional excellence, Gwen was a mentor, a source of guidance, and a steady presence within the Chambers. She served Bermuda with integrity and grace, and her loss is felt profoundly by all who had the privilege of working alongside her.”
Ms Johnson was laid to rest in her native Zambia, where she was honoured with a special valedictory sitting of the Supreme Court of Zambia on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
The sitting, attended by members of the legal profession, family and friends, was followed by a church service and burial, recognising her distinguished service to the law and her lasting contribution to the legal profession in the diaspora.
A memorial service, in Bermuda, is being planned to honour her contribution to the jurisdiction.
The Corporate Income Tax means more than paying down the debt … it means investing in our youth, moving towards universal healthcare, building more housing for our people
Statement by Jamahl Simmons, MP for Constituency #33, Sandys South
For years, the OBA have preached their version of “shared sacrifice” to Bermudians. They told us to accept cuts to services and scholarships, freezes, and furloughs all under their version of “fiscal responsibility.”
Now they are telling Bermudians once again to put their needs aside and be denied the direct benefit of the new Corporate Income Tax.
With the vast amounts of tax revenue coming in, it would be foolish not to make big moves to bring down the debt. Yet, it would also be heartless not to put some of that money towards the clear and immediate needs of our people.
The OBA disagrees with our approach but our people have seen what their approach looks like.
When the OBA spent $100 million of public money toward The America’s Cup, there was no talk of restraint. No warnings about their government living beyond its means.
In fact, despite the fact that the economic review stated that 64% of the businesses that benefited from America’s Cup had owners that identified as White, they continue to boast about it.
When the OBA signed the airport and Morgan’s Point deals that have cost our country millions there was no talk about fiscal responsibility.
The reality is that the OBA wants us to think this is a debate on whether the PLP is fiscally responsible or not, but it isn’t; it’s about how we can put our people first.
The Corporate Income Tax means more than paying down the debt. It means investing in our youth, moving towards universal healthcare, building more housing for our people and more.
Bermudians across the island did not elect us to tell our people that their challenges aren’t a priority and they absolutely do not want a government that takes an OBA-like approach.
Why do I say that?
They believe as so many of us do, that when the OBA speaks of a “bloated civil service” what they are really saying is that Bermudan jobs are expendable, that community investment is wasteful, and that those struggling should just “get over it.”
To us fiscal responsibility and social responsibility are not diametrically opposed, they are inseparable.
That’s why we made one of the most progressive changes to our tax system by shifting the burden away from those of us who can least afford to pay.
That’s why we pushed through Bermuda’s first minimum wage over the objections of some in the private sector. Not because their opinions didn’t matter, but because their opinions for too long have mattered more than everyone else’s needs.
So I ask you:
Do we accept an approach where those who need housing, our youth who need opportunities and safer streets and those who can’t make ends meet are ignored?
Or do we believe that we can take a balanced approach that addresses our people’s needs and pays off our debt?
OBA calls for Bermudiana Beach and other empty Gov’t buildings to be used for critical BHC clients; Ministry says Bermudiana rental levels and insurance differs too much
The Opposition asks why we aren’t using Bermudiana Beach to house those in need…
…the Government says – it’s not suitable for such a task.
The OBA’s Michael Fahy, Shadow Minister of Housing & Municipalities, has once again raised the question why empty units Bermudiana Beach resort are not being made available to critical waitlist clients of the Bermuda Housing Corporation.
This followed comments by BHC chair Chris Famous, who says they are exploring alternative construction methods that could provide homes faster and cheaper.
However, a Ministry of Housing spokesperson said the Bermudiana Beach Resort rental levels, insurance requirements, and tenancy arrangements differ from the model used by the BHC to provide for critical clients.
Therefore, “the units are not currently suited to meeting the urgent needs of individuals and families seeking emergency or long-term affordable accommodation.”
His Excellency Andrew Murdoch has served as Governor of Bermuda since January 22nd 2025
Nine specialist officers from the UK have been deployed to Bermuda to assist the BPS with tactical, analytics and agency support with cold cases plus other security measures.
We sat down with the Governor to discuss the developments under his first year in office.
The protest was part of an “ICE OUT!” day of action, with organizers and participants saying scores of businesses across Minnesota closed for the day
International News via Reuters:
Local police arrested dozens of clergy members who sang hymns and prayed as they knelt on a road at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport as part of a day of protests and walkouts on Friday against U.S. President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of immigration enforcement officers in the Twin Cities.
The protest was part of an “ICE OUT!” day of action, with organizers and participants saying scores of businesses across Minnesota closed for the day and workers headed to street protests and marches in what they described as a general strike.
The protest came after senior Trump administration officials called for cooperation with local Democratic leaders to calm tension after weeks of sometimes violent confrontations between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and protesters opposed to Trump’s crackdown on immigrants.
Ahead of an afternoon rally downtown in frigid weather, hundreds of people headed to the state’s main airport. Organizers said their demands included legal accountability for the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, in her car this month as she monitored ICE activities.
PROTEST ORGANIZERS SAY 100 CLERGY ARRESTED
They ignored commands to clear the road by officers from local police departments, who arrested and zip-tied dozens of the protesters, who did not resist, before putting them onto buses. Reuters observed dozens of arrests, and organizers said about 100 clergy members were arrested.
Faith in Minnesota, a nonprofit advocacy group that helped organize the protest, said the clergy were also calling attention to airport and airline workers who they said had been detained by ICE at work. The group asked that airline companies “stand with Minnesotans in calling for ICE to immediately end its surge in the state.”
Across the state, bars, restaurants and shops were shuttering for the day, according to organizers and participants. Many Minneapolis workers were heading downtown for a march and rally, intended by organizers to be the largest display of opposition yet to the federal government’s surge, which Mayor Jacob Frey and other Democrats have likened to an invasion.
Miguel Hernandez, a community organizer who closed his business, Lito’s Bakery in Minneapolis for the day, put on four layers, wool socks and a parka before heading out to protest.
“If this were any other time, no one would’ve gone out,” he said, bracing for the weather. “For us, it’s a message of solidarity with our community, that we see the pain and misery that’s going on in the streets, and it’s a message to our politicians that they have to do more than grandstand on the news.”
TRUMP TIES CRACKDOWN PARTLY TO FRAUD ALLEGATIONS
Trump, a Republican, launched the Minnesota crackdown in part in response to fraud allegations against some members of the state’s large community of people of Somali origin. He has called Somali immigrants “garbage” and said they are to be removed from the country as part of his effort to expel more immigrants, including some admitted into the country to seek asylum and other lawful residents, than any of his predecessors.
Minnesota residents have responded with anger, making noise in the streets day and night with whistles and musical instruments. Some agents and protesters have yelled obscenities at each other, and agents have deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades to scatter crowds. The Trump administration says some protesters have harassed agents and obstructed their work.
Senior Trump administration officials have gone to Minneapolis to defend ICE, with Vice President JD Vance telling reporters during his Thursday visit the administration is “doing everything we can to lower the temperature.”
Patty O’Keefe, a 36-year-old nonprofit worker, said she would be among those willing to join Friday’s march and “expose ourselves to the elements to demonstrate the level of anger and frustration that we have.”
“We continue to be under siege from the federal government, and it feels like we need to do more because our normal forms of protest and resistance have shown to not be enough yet to really send a strong enough message to Trump,” she said.
The numerous Fortune 500 companies that call Minnesota home – mostly based in the Minneapolis area – have refrained from public statements about the immigration raids. Minneapolis-based Target, which has come under fire in the last year for retreating from its public commitment to diversity policies, has faced more criticism for not speaking out about activity at its stores. State lawmakers have pressed the company for details of its guidance to employees if and when ICE officers show up at stores.
The company declined a request for comment. Reuters also contacted Minnesota-based UnitedHealth, Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Best Buy, Hormel, General Mills, 3M and Fastenal. None immediately responded to requests for comment.
Reporting by Heather Schlitz in Minneapolis and Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting Tim Evans in Minneapolis, Anshuman Tripathy, Marian E Sunny, Angela M Christy and Sanskriti Shekhar; Writing by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Donna Bryson and Rod Nickel
Brent crude futures rose $1.82, or 2.8%, to settle at $65.88 a barrel, the highest since January 14
International News via Reuters:
Oil prices settled at their highest in over a week on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up pressure against Iran through more sanctions on vessels that transport its oil, and announced an armada was heading towards the Middle Eastern nation.
Brent crude futures rose $1.82, or 2.8%, to settle at $65.88 a barrel, the highest since January 14. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.71, or 2.9%, at $61.07, also a more than one-week high.
Both benchmarks notched weekly gains of over 2.5%.
Trump’s statements renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear program. The escalating pressure has caused concerns of oil supply disruptions in the Middle East. Kazakhstan has been struggling to resume output from one of the world’s largest oilfields.
Warships, including an aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyers, will arrive in the Middle East in the coming days, a U.S. official said. The United States conducted strikes on Iran last June.
U.S. HITS VESSELS, FIRMS WITH SANCTIONS
The U.S. on Friday also imposed sanctions on nine vessels and eight related firms involved in transporting Iranian oil and petroleum products, the U.S. Treasury said in a statement.
At about 3.2 million barrels per day according to OPEC figures, Iran is OPEC’s fourth-biggest crude oil producer behind Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. It is also a major exporter to China, the world’s second-largest oil consumer.
Chevron said oil output at Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oilfield has yet to resume after Chevron-led operator Tengizchevroil announced a shutdown on Monday following a fire.
The incident exacerbated problems for Kazakhstan’s oil industry, already challenged by bottlenecks at its main exporting gateway on the Black Sea, which has been damaged by Ukrainian drones.
JP Morgan said on Friday that Tengiz, which accounts for nearly half of Kazakhstan’s production, could remain offline for the rest of the month and that Kazakhstan’s crude output is likely to average only 1 million to 1.1 million bpd in January, compared with a usual level of around 1.8 million bpd.
Oil prices climbed earlier in the week on Trump’s moves on Greenland, but dropped by about 2% on Thursday as he backed off tariff threats against Europe and ruled out military action.
Trump said on Thursday that Denmark, NATO and the U.S. had reached a deal that would allow “total access” to Greenland.
Reporting by Shariq Khan, Shadia Nasralla, Helen Clark and Sudarshan Varadhan; additional reporting by Stephanie KellyEditing by David Goodman, Jane Merriman, Rod Nickel
Walking off her plane at the airport in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, Frederiksen was greeted by Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen
International News via Reuters:
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited Greenland on Friday in a show of support for the Arctic island that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to annex.
Walking off her plane at the airport in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, Frederiksen was greeted by Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. The two were seen embracing on the tarmac before driving away.
Frederiksen flew straight to Nuuk from Brussels after meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte earlier in the day to discuss how the military alliance can boost security in the wider Arctic region.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Danish kingdom. The two governments say the island is not for sale and its sovereignty is not up for discussion, but they are open to talks on other topics, such as security and economic development.
“We are preparing the next steps,” Frederiksen told reporters while walking alongside Nielsen in central Nuuk. “I’m first and foremost here to show our strong support for Greenland’s people as a difficult time.”
Trump said on Thursday he had secured total and permanent U.S. access to Greenland after talks with Rutte, who said allies would have to step up efforts to ward off threats from Russia and China. The U.S. military is already permitted wide access to Greenland under treaties, although Washington has scaled back its presence there since the Cold War to a single small base.
The island’s future has prompted a crisis in transatlantic relations after Trump demanded Greenland become U.S. territory, refused to rule out military force to obtain it and announced new tariffs on European countries that objected.
The crisis subsided after he lifted the threat to use force on Wednesday and withdrew the proposed tariffs on Thursday.
“We agree that NATO must increase its engagement in the Arctic. Defence and security in the Arctic is a matter for the entire alliance,” Frederiksen said in a social media post, along with a photo of herself and Rutte in Brussels.
Rutte said he was working with the Danish leader to enhance deterrence and defence.
Denmark’s foreign minister said on Friday that diplomats from Denmark and the United States had met in Washington on Thursday, establishing a plan for how to proceed.
“We will not communicate when those (future) meetings are, because what is needed now is to take the drama out of this… we need a calm process,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
A source familiar with the matter said Rutte and Trump had agreed on further talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland on updating a 1951 agreement that governs U.S. military access and presence on the Arctic island.
Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Janis Laizans in Nuuk, and Soren Jeppesen and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen, editing by Terje Solsvik and Toby Chopra
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